RE: BMW i8 | The Brave Pill
Discussion
Pusikurac said:
I almost bought one before Covid, but I waited. Now, the prices are 20% higher than 2 years ago. I'm not paying 20% more, when it should be 20% less! No way. I guess I'll wait. And maybe buy R8, while at it.
I8 is really a good proposition, as tax is really low comparing to any other sportscar.
Are R8 prices not similarly up 20% though?I8 is really a good proposition, as tax is really low comparing to any other sportscar.
I must say these are an attractive proposition for me. I am only in the UK 50% of the time and then only use a car a few times a month. Paying big road tax and service costs therefore become rather frustrating for the use I get and for 2k miles a year I usually manage. MPG is largely unimportant for the same reason but still nice to be able to see 40mpg or so on my regular UK run from Yorkshire to Hampshire and back. Let's face it, the ability to properly gun it in the UK is rare so its got adequate performance for what I need. Yes, not as exciting as some offerings at similar money but quite a curveball option.
That said, I still regularly end up browsing Exige V6s but I would then have to retain a UK daily on top, with the added costs of a second car. The i8 could work as a one car fits all.
I like the way these look and the ethos behind the engineering but, for me, for this type of car and its market segment/price I can't see beyond the 3 cylinder engine. If it was priced as a TT or Z4 rival i could be interested but as it is, it would have to have a 6 cylinder. Which is what Honda did with the NSX mkII.
TheMilkyBarKid said:
When we replace our F-Type next year the i8, along with an Evora 400 (hoping the ‘Emira effect’ dints prices a little over the next 14-15 months!) a 4.0 Cayman GTS and possibly the A110 are all in the frame.
I love the way the i8 looks but one of the things that puts me off a little is the potentially horrific bill for a new battery pack once beyond 10 years of age and also the butterfly doors. The same issue applies to any car with scissor doors really but I’d be interested to hear from owners if they’ve ever had a problem in car parks if someone parks so close there isn’t enough space for the door to arc upwards? Or do you always look for an end space?!
Surely if someone parks so close that you can’t open the doors, I don’t fancy the chances of getting in or out of any two door sports car style? I love the way the i8 looks but one of the things that puts me off a little is the potentially horrific bill for a new battery pack once beyond 10 years of age and also the butterfly doors. The same issue applies to any car with scissor doors really but I’d be interested to hear from owners if they’ve ever had a problem in car parks if someone parks so close there isn’t enough space for the door to arc upwards? Or do you always look for an end space?!
Ps - certainly not if you’re 6’4” and 18 (ahem) st light!
Slaav said:
TheMilkyBarKid said:
When we replace our F-Type next year the i8, along with an Evora 400 (hoping the ‘Emira effect’ dints prices a little over the next 14-15 months!) a 4.0 Cayman GTS and possibly the A110 are all in the frame.
I love the way the i8 looks but one of the things that puts me off a little is the potentially horrific bill for a new battery pack once beyond 10 years of age and also the butterfly doors. The same issue applies to any car with scissor doors really but I’d be interested to hear from owners if they’ve ever had a problem in car parks if someone parks so close there isn’t enough space for the door to arc upwards? Or do you always look for an end space?!
Surely if someone parks so close that you can’t open the doors, I don’t fancy the chances of getting in or out of any two door sports car style? I love the way the i8 looks but one of the things that puts me off a little is the potentially horrific bill for a new battery pack once beyond 10 years of age and also the butterfly doors. The same issue applies to any car with scissor doors really but I’d be interested to hear from owners if they’ve ever had a problem in car parks if someone parks so close there isn’t enough space for the door to arc upwards? Or do you always look for an end space?!
Ps - certainly not if you’re 6’4” and 18 (ahem) st light!
I've had 2 of these so far, absolutely love them. The motor and the engine did seem to feel more than the performance figures suggest, handling was lovely too. I would have liked a bit more steering feel, and some wider tyres.
I managed to fit a front facing child seat, and a (very small) pram in the boot if we needed to, storage wasn't great though.
Through the time I ownes the cars, I never once had a problem with being able to get in bacause of the doors, if someone did park close, I imagine it coould be tricky though, in a normal 2 door car, you can slip in, with this, you have to hold the door, and limbo over the sills. I have read some people not being able to open the doors past the mirror of the car parked next to them.
I really only sold it, as I needed more space, and was worried about the complexity later in its life (although I now have something equally as complex to fix!!) I did read problems with the liquid battery cooling though, with the car needing the high voltage batteries removing/replacing.
I managed to fit a front facing child seat, and a (very small) pram in the boot if we needed to, storage wasn't great though.
Through the time I ownes the cars, I never once had a problem with being able to get in bacause of the doors, if someone did park close, I imagine it coould be tricky though, in a normal 2 door car, you can slip in, with this, you have to hold the door, and limbo over the sills. I have read some people not being able to open the doors past the mirror of the car parked next to them.
I really only sold it, as I needed more space, and was worried about the complexity later in its life (although I now have something equally as complex to fix!!) I did read problems with the liquid battery cooling though, with the car needing the high voltage batteries removing/replacing.
Numeric said:
sidesauce said:
I love mine - it truly is a unique car and I honestly will mourn replacing it.
It has been supremely reliable too (at least for me; others experience may vary). A car that, even now, still gets a huge amount of positive attention; I think the public find the fact it looks like it should be loud but actually can be silent a real novelty. Quite rare too - there are around 2500 in the UK.
BMW hit it out the park with this one and I know it'll take them another 20 years, like the Z8 and M1 preceding it, before they'll take as big a risk again.
For me this and the i3 seemed to show that BMW were able to be extremely dynamic with new technology. Actually the i3 seemed the most impressive as it seemed to make the best use of an emerging tech. It has been supremely reliable too (at least for me; others experience may vary). A car that, even now, still gets a huge amount of positive attention; I think the public find the fact it looks like it should be loud but actually can be silent a real novelty. Quite rare too - there are around 2500 in the UK.
BMW hit it out the park with this one and I know it'll take them another 20 years, like the Z8 and M1 preceding it, before they'll take as big a risk again.
Edited by sidesauce on Saturday 30th April 05:44
What the heck has happened since??
Of course the i3 was a bit premature, but that doesn't mean they should just stop. A new i3 embracing latest tech might work and they must try again, are we really to be condemned to just electric versions of 4x4 of various sizes? Or badge it as a Mini - heck there was a brand where great packaging and innovation were its key in its formative years - instead we get the electric mini with all the innovation of Lego!
I salute your i8 as being what BMW can do when they try - rather than knock out boring boxes in China - because within the i8 and i3 we saw a glimpse of a possible future that may take time to get just right, but I feel would give BMW or Mini the real differentiation needed in the new world.
There will always be a better box, but will there ever be a better i8 (or i3)?
Gosh - horribly ranty on a sunny day - more coffee required me thinks...
Edited by Numeric on Saturday 30th April 07:52
The i3 range was always a bit short, limiting the car to city or short commutes and the i8, in many people's thoughts, was that the 1.5 3 cylinder was rather puny.
These 2 models are completely at polar opposites to what BMW produces today.
cerb4.5lee said:
I saw one of these the other day and it looked incredible on the road I thought. However the way that it is powered(a tiny engine and a battery) doesn't interest me in the slightest though. If this had a V8 or a straight 6 in it though it would be a completely different matter I reckon.
pretty much this ^^^ IMO one of the better looking 'super' cars out there, albeit not in black, the white is (unusually) stunning as is the burnt orange
Edited by DodgyGeezer on Saturday 30th April 12:58
When launched I wasn't too keen to the styling, but now especially in a darker colour I really like them.
I like the power train. The concept is good so what we have is a Supercar available for £40K, which is cheep ish to run and would make a great commuter car.
What's frustrating is BMW (an other manufactures) have missed a trick. This was 8 years ago! This power train would of been ideal in something like a 4 series coupe.
Additionally, increased battery capacity to 20-30kwh, larger motor and using the 3 pot as a generator, eliminating all the additional drive train gubbings would make a excellent EV for daily use, removing charging anxiety.
I like the power train. The concept is good so what we have is a Supercar available for £40K, which is cheep ish to run and would make a great commuter car.
What's frustrating is BMW (an other manufactures) have missed a trick. This was 8 years ago! This power train would of been ideal in something like a 4 series coupe.
Additionally, increased battery capacity to 20-30kwh, larger motor and using the 3 pot as a generator, eliminating all the additional drive train gubbings would make a excellent EV for daily use, removing charging anxiety.
TheMilkyBarKid said:
When we replace our F-Type next year the i8, along with an Evora 400 (hoping the ‘Emira effect’ dints prices a little over the next 14-15 months!) a 4.0 Cayman GTS and possibly the A110 are all in the frame.
I love the way the i8 looks but one of the things that puts me off a little is the potentially horrific bill for a new battery pack once beyond 10 years of age and also the butterfly doors. The same issue applies to any car with scissor doors really but I’d be interested to hear from owners if they’ve ever had a problem in car parks if someone parks so close there isn’t enough space for the door to arc upwards? Or do you always look for an end space?!
What horrific bill for a replacement hybrid battery? Don't people bother to do 2 mins of research to establish what's possible?I love the way the i8 looks but one of the things that puts me off a little is the potentially horrific bill for a new battery pack once beyond 10 years of age and also the butterfly doors. The same issue applies to any car with scissor doors really but I’d be interested to hear from owners if they’ve ever had a problem in car parks if someone parks so close there isn’t enough space for the door to arc upwards? Or do you always look for an end space?!
Battery modules can be replaced if necessary rather than having to replace the entire battery
https://www.speakev.com/threads/replacement-batter...
Hybrid garage (£65 per hour labour) that specialises in changing cells rather than the entire battery pack
https://www.hytorque.co.uk/hybrid-repairs-and-serv...
£3,600 for a hybrid battery taken from a 2018 i8
https://www.trents.co.uk/car-parts/makes/popular-m...
I daily drive my i8 and have done 25,000 miles in two years. The initial front end turn in feel is one of the most confidence inspiring of any road car I’ve driven and it performs well on track.
Disabling the “active sound” in favour of a QuickSilver titanium exhaust has addressed some of the issues mentioned in the article and makes the car feel a lot more connected. It sounds surprisingly good for a 3-cylinder now!
Buy with a main dealer warranty and you can’t go wrong.
Disabling the “active sound” in favour of a QuickSilver titanium exhaust has addressed some of the issues mentioned in the article and makes the car feel a lot more connected. It sounds surprisingly good for a 3-cylinder now!
Buy with a main dealer warranty and you can’t go wrong.
thegreenhell said:
Slaav said:
TheMilkyBarKid said:
When we replace our F-Type next year the i8, along with an Evora 400 (hoping the ‘Emira effect’ dints prices a little over the next 14-15 months!) a 4.0 Cayman GTS and possibly the A110 are all in the frame.
I love the way the i8 looks but one of the things that puts me off a little is the potentially horrific bill for a new battery pack once beyond 10 years of age and also the butterfly doors. The same issue applies to any car with scissor doors really but I’d be interested to hear from owners if they’ve ever had a problem in car parks if someone parks so close there isn’t enough space for the door to arc upwards? Or do you always look for an end space?!
Surely if someone parks so close that you can’t open the doors, I don’t fancy the chances of getting in or out of any two door sports car style? I love the way the i8 looks but one of the things that puts me off a little is the potentially horrific bill for a new battery pack once beyond 10 years of age and also the butterfly doors. The same issue applies to any car with scissor doors really but I’d be interested to hear from owners if they’ve ever had a problem in car parks if someone parks so close there isn’t enough space for the door to arc upwards? Or do you always look for an end space?!
Ps - certainly not if you’re 6’4” and 18 (ahem) st light!
And re the battery pack costs thanks raspy but y’know, the slightly patronising response was maybe not entirely necessary? A friend of mine in the trade (but not one with any experience of working on one of these to be fair) had suggested it might be rather more than that so that’s actually pretty reassuring. I just thought I’d ask on a thread on this model to get a quick response from those with more experience of than me of owning the i8 to get an informed view to save me trawling the net, so you’ve saved me the trouble there.
Edited by TheMilkyBarKid on Saturday 30th April 23:29
I dont understand why BMW did not
a) design it to have the 3 cylinder motor driving a generator that then powered an electric motor for each axle. Would probably have been the most economic configuration
b) give the option of no rear seats and an additional battery pack placed there instead.
c) have a “GTE” in the range
a) design it to have the 3 cylinder motor driving a generator that then powered an electric motor for each axle. Would probably have been the most economic configuration
b) give the option of no rear seats and an additional battery pack placed there instead.
c) have a “GTE” in the range
blearyeyedboy said:
As brave as making a mug of tea.
These are near the bottom of the market and are a shoe-in for "future classic" status.
I think these are inspired and hopefully there'll be a future all-electric successor one day.
Wonder what the bottom of the market will be for these? Might end up a relatively affordable 'supercar' for the 'ordinary' enthusiast? .....I hope so anyway!! These are near the bottom of the market and are a shoe-in for "future classic" status.
I think these are inspired and hopefully there'll be a future all-electric successor one day.
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